Newslinks for Monday 8th February 2016

Europe: Boris nails his colours to the fence

“…for the last couple of years I have argued that we would be – on the whole – better off in a reformed EU, but that Britain could have a great future outside. In deciding how to vote I (and I expect a few others) will want to know whether we have genuinely achieved any reform, and whether there is the prospect of any more. So let’s look at the Tusk proposals, in turn, and ask some hard questions.” – Boris Johnson, Daily Telegraph

Prime Minister to unveil plan to jail criminals at weekends only

“Thousands of inmates would be allowed out of jail during the week under plans to be announced by David Cameron today. The radical scheme for prisoners near the end of their sentences would see them behind bars only at weekends. It is one of a raft of reforms Mr Cameron will reveal today while condemning the ‘scandalous failure’ of the justice system to rehabilitate criminals.” – Daily Mail

Cameron is right to focus on gaols, but must be bolder – Danny Kruger, Daily Telegraph

Osborne to boost workers’ pensions

“Workers could get bigger retirement pots under a “pension bonus” being considered by George Osborne. The Chancellor is weighing up a new flat rate for pensions tax relief that will add up to £300 per year to average savings.” – The Sun

Ministers: Lewis hints at using EVEL to pass Sunday Trading reform

“A Tory minister has indicated controversial Sunday trading laws could be forced through by barring Scottish MPs from voting after admitting the core changes only apply south of the border. Brandon Lewis, the communities and local government minister, said that the “liberalisation” of Sunday trading laws is “only applicable in England and Wales”.” – Daily Telegraph

Health 1) Hunt accuses doctors’ union of misleading public

“Jeremy Hunt today accused the doctors union of ‘spreading misinformation’ and behaving in a ‘totally irresponsible way’ over the on-going junior doctors dispute. The Health Secretary acknowledged the low morale and anger among junior doctors but blamed the British Medical Association (BMA) for making medics feel ‘devalued’.” – Daily Mail

Health 2) Wollaston speaks up for charity lobbying

“A senior Conservative MP has waded into the row about charities being banned from using taxpayers’ money to lobby government. Sarah Wollaston, the Tory chairwoman of the health select committee, warned that the move would have serious consequences for public health and that the “balance [of lobbying] is already distorted in favour of industry”.” – The Times (£)

Celebrity chef to dedicate himself to ousting Tories if they don’t pass sugar tax – The Times (£)

Advisor warns that cutting benefits to help people lose weight ‘would not work’ – The Independent

Libby Purves: Fat cat charities are over-dependent on the taxpayer

“…it is not sensible for an elected government to hand over taxpayers’ money to groups that promptly use it to argue expensively against it. In Australia, the state of Queensland has ruled that any group receiving half of its funding from government agencies “must not advocate for state or federal legislative change”, but concentrate entirely on outcomes.
What our government is proposing is not as strict.” – The Times (£)

Flynn has reservations over committee’s Kids Company verdict – The Guardian

Corbyn told to prepare for 2016 general election…

“Jeremy Corbyn has been told to prepare for a snap General Election later this year amid fears that David Cameron could quit as Prime Minister following the EU referendum. Toby Perkins, Labour MP for Chesterfield, warned that Labour would be ‘hurtling towards catastrophe’ if it faced an election soon – pointing to the Lib Dems as an example of the ‘scale of devastation’ that the party could face.” – Daily Mail

…as Momentum draws up blueprint for ‘takeover’

“Momentum wants to attract 20,000 members, win affiliation from local Labour groups and fight Blairites for key internal positions, a document leaked to The Telegraph has revealed amid fears it is planning a “Militant-style” takeover. In proposals that will alarm centrist Labour MPs, the hard-Left group backed by Jeremy Corbyn has put battling moderates over internal party positions as one of its top prioritises in the next three months.” – Daily Telegraph

Chris Deerin: Certain defeat gives Labour the space for renewal

“Labour is done for a generation… But if there is an upside to all this, it is that the pounding received in 2015 was a pounding it badly needed. In the certain knowledge that they will also lose at the next general election – the Tories could stand a prize marrow against Corbyn and still walk it – Labour’s smarter elements finally have space to think, to favour philosophy and strategy over tactics, and to wrestle with the question that currently has no good answer: what, in the 21st century, is Labour for?” – Daily Mail

SNP could climb down on power negotiation deadline

“The Scottish Government could climb down on its ­Friday deadline to strike a historic deal on sweeping new powers for Holyrood as fraught negotiations with Westminster resume today. Finance Secretary John Swinney had previously indicated that a deal would need to be struck by February 12 – the end of this week. But his SNP colleague and party ­deputy leader Stewart Hosie said both sides should be ready to talk a “little longer” if it means securing a settlement.” – The Scotsman

Farron urges Welsh voters to reject ‘English nationalists’ of UKIP

“If you plan to make a protest vote against the Tories or Labour in the May Assembly election, Tim Farron wants you to back the Liberal Democrats and not the ‘English nationalists’ of Ukip. The UK Lib Dem leader would not say he was 100% certain that his party will see any AMs elected to the Assembly – but he claimed people predicting a wipe-out could have “egg on their face”.” – Wales Online

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